Onondaga County Democrats endorse Dan Maffei for Congress

View full sizeJohn Berry / The Post-Standard file photo U.S. Congressman Daniel Maffei, joined by his wife Abby, spoke to Democrats gathered at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool in 2010. He lost the 25th Congressional District race against Ann Marie Buerkle that year.

Syracuse, Ny -- Former U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei won the Onondaga County Democratic Committee’s endorsement Thursday evening, setting in motion a possible primary challenge from Brianne Murphy, a Syracuse lawyer, for a congressional district that still, technically, doesn’t exist.

As of Thursday, New York lawmakers charged with redistricting and federal judges who’ve taken over the process had not set new political boundaries for the state’s 27 congressional districts.

But as the political season begins on Tuesday — the first day candidates can pass petitions to qualify for a run — the Onondaga County Democrats went ahead with designating Maffei for what is now New York’s 25th Congressional District.

In 2010, Maffei, a one-term congressman from DeWitt, lost his seat by 648 votes in a bitterly contested race against Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R-Onondaga Hill.

The Democratic committee also designated incumbent candidates for New York State Senate and Assembly seats: Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida; Assemblyman Sam Roberts, D-Syracuse; and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse. Vita DeMarchi, the county party chairwoman, said she does not expect any primary challenges for those seats.

Murphy challenged Maffei for the party endorsement Thursday night. Murphy said in the past that she would try to get on the ballot and force a primary. Reached after the committee vote, Murphy said she received 23 percent of the vote in the committee. “I’m really excited and proud of the support I received,” Murphy said. “I have not conceded.”

The county committee decided to wait to designate in other state and local races until New York leaders decide the date of the primary election for those offices. A federal judge has moved the congressional primary to June 26 to comply with a new federal voting law. It’s unclear whether the state will move its other primaries to the same date or stick with the traditional September vote.